Help Keep the Flame Going!
Way back in January, we were learning in church about running from God, about admitting to God that we’ve been running from Him. My wonderful Paster, Brian was speaking about 2nd Timothy 1:6 that reads, “fan into flame the gift of God that is in you.” Brian called on us not to let it sit and burn in coals, but to fan it into a flame.
I write little notes in a book and I had written down this thought “for the first time in my life I can truthfully say that I am not running from Him. But, what I do need to admit is that I may not be running toward Him. I’m more tentatively walking, occasionally skipping toward Him.” Then I wrote under it. “It’s time to run.”
You’ll see from the next few blogs I post, that God has been working some crazy beautiful stuff in my life and I definitely have begun to RUN, if not sprint, towards him and towards a more spirit-filled and connected life.
A transformation began, and the flame is burning bright!
How Can You Help?
So there are some important questions to address;
Why should you give?
Well, you should give if you feel called to. If this mission, this project, or this path I’m on reaches out to your heart, then you should consider giving.
Where does the money go?
This is a very good question, there are many ways to answer it that appeal to many different people. – I’ll address them below in terms of serving, time, growth, and the specifics of where the funding goes.
Serving:
To start, you will be funding me being able to serve and give my time and talents in partnering with some amazing missionary organizations, individuals, families, etc, that are already on the ground and serving their local communities. For the month that we will spend in each country, myself and the team will be serving and supporting the ministry in whatever way they need. This could include opportunities such as; kids ministry, manual labor, homeless and feeding ministry, teaching English, etc. You will be helping me to be able to make a difference in the lives of others.
Here are two stories from previous racer’s experiences I wanted to share with you;
A previous World-Racer, Jenn, was working in an orphanage for children with special needs. She fell in love with a little boy named Zi Ping. She
felt that he would fit perfectly in her family, and decided to take a risk and try to make it happen. Jenn asked her sister Katie and her brother-in-law
Josh if they would be willing to adopt Zi. They immediately agreed, and they’ve just this month brought him home from china! God opened every door throughout the complicated international adoption process, including providing more than $30,000 in one day to fund Zi’s whole adoption! (quoted from http://updates.theworldrace.org/?filename=bringing-zi-ping-home-how-you-can-join-the-journey).
A group of racers blogged about how they had collected $2000 in donations while they were on the road and surprised and blessed 10 street kids with Christmas gifts! These kids had been spending their days begging for money and cleaning windshields of passing cars so their families could eat. The racers wrote in their blog “we wanted to bless these kids, but as it usually works out, those 10 street kids ministered to our hearts in radical ways, taught us something more about the character of Jesus, and gave us the most joy-filled, memorable Christmas of all our lives” (story from http://updates.theworldrace.org/?filename=why-this-was-the-best-christmas-ever-for-10-cambodian-street-kids)
Time:
You will be making it possible for me to go to places in need and GIVE a year of my time instead of working for a year.
Growth:
You will be helping to fund the adventure of a lifetime; helping me to grow in ways I never could have imagined, personally and spiritually. LIVING, GROWING and GIVING.
Where does the $ go specifically?:
If you are someone who likes to see a financial breakdown of what exactly the $15,500 pays for, a previous world-racer broke it down quite well in her blog here; http://marymiddleton.theworldrace.org/?filename=money-breakdown
What if I can’t give financially?
If you can’t personally give, do you have a talent or a skill that could help? I’ll be coordinating some fundraising events between now and September and could use prize donations, artists, bands, volunteers, locations, etc. Do you have connections that you could help spread the word to? Can you share my fundraising page (Give & Grow) on Facebook? Do you know any businesses that would sponsor me? I have sponsorship opportunities available for businesses.
For me – It’s time to make a change. This song by Josh Garrels called Zion & Babylon really cries out to me and this mission. Specifically these words;
Time to make a change
Leave your home
Give to the poor all that you own
Lose your life, so that you could find it
First will be last when the true world comes
Livin’ like a humble fool to overcome
The upside-down wisdom
Of a dying world
Zion’s not built with hands
And in this place God will dwell with man
Sick be healed and cripples stand
Sing Allelu
My kingdom’s built with the blood of my son
Selfless sacrifice for everyone
Faith, hope, love, and harmony
I said let this world know me by your love
By your love
Oh my child, daughters and sons
I made you in love to overcome
Free as a bird, my flowers in the sun
I plan to go on this mission free as a bird, to show his love so that others will know him. It’s a journey of a lifetime. It’s a chance for spiritual awakening and growth. A chance to run.
I don’t know where I’m going, but with your help I’m on my way.
** << As of right now I have missed a financial deadline on June 29th of $3,500.
I leave on Thursday July 11th for training camp and will need to have that amount in my online World Race account in order to continue on fundraising and preparing to leave in September as a World Racer.
If it is on your heart to give please donate online and help me continue fanning the flame, keeping the fire burning bright! >> **
Thank you and God bless.
I’ve attached my support letter as a separate post you can see along the tabs on the left hand side and my sponsorship opportunities flyer for businesses is attached as a photo. Check them out and feel free to share them! 🙂
To donate – click on the “support me” tab on the left and follow the instructions for online donation.
